The Lies We Tell
by White Thestral
Summary: There are some things that should never be spoken aloud, some things too horrible to say, and she would do anything to protect the ones she loves from them. But how can she protect them when she can't even save herself? AU, Fullmetal Alchemist crossover,
1. Gentle Sinner

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Pairing: EdxSerena, AlxWinry on the side

This starts out in Envy's POV, so I'm sorry if he's OOC

She doesn't deserve this pain.

As a matter of fact, no kid does, but Serena's special. Yeah, I know this sounds corny but she really is. For example, the day she banged into me on the street on her way to school. Serena knew right away what I was, could simply tell just by looking me in the eye with those uncannily sharp and laughing blues. But she treated me like a real person, something I'd never experienced before.

I found myself coming back for more, more smiles, more sweet, gentle words. For a long time I was disgusted with myself, starved for affection like some stray cat. But Serena wore me down, and it became habit to drop in on her.

Later on, as Serena grew to trust me, and of all people— or homunculi— Lust, I learned about her home life. Her mother was an empty-headed beauty, caring only for the next party or whatever the hell it is she did, and didn't give a thought to her only daughter. Her father was an alchemist, fairly well known, and he specialized in jewelry. But that wasn't all, no, it wasn't bad enough that Serena had parents who didn't give a damn about her well being.

Her father used her in his alchemy experiments.

I remember that night so well, like it's been burned into my brain, and I see it every time I close my eyes. Serena, lying on her bed, blood soaking into her sheets and through her white nightgown from the alchemy circles and the whiplashes. She choked on her sobs and her own blood as she looked up at me with her frail, tearstained face, reaching out to me.

"_Envy!"_

I couldn't move.

"_Envy, help me! It hurts!"_

Like the fool I was, I couldn't move, just stood there staring at her as the blood dripped down her hand. Serena's pleading eyes fastened on mine, begging me to do something, anything, to take the pain away.

"_Envy?..."_

In the end, it was Lust who appeared and held Serena, not caring about the blood that soaked through her dress and gently soothing our poor, fragile charge until she slept. While Serena slumbered fitfully, we looked at her back. The alchemy circles were carved brutally into her back, some newer than others, but all the same.

Somehow her bastard of a father had gotten diamonds out of her tears. And now, he was trying for a Philosopher's Stone out of his own daughter's blood.

We wanted a Philosopher's Stone, but not like this.

Never like this.

Serena shifted in her sleep, turning her face up to the moonlight. Despite her father's torture, her mother's neglect, she still remained pure. Not innocent— she had been through too much for that. But still, pure.

And I wondered why, despite all that alchemy had done to her, Serena was determined to master it, working day and night to perfect a transmutation circle as her bright silver alchemy lit it up. I would never know, unless I scraped up the guts to ask her. That, I know, I'll never do.

As Serena flopped over in her sleep, I saw something sticking out from the corner of her pillow. Curiously, I reached over and slid it out. It was faded, and wrinkled, and obviously much loved. It portrayed a much younger Serena, with two boys on either side of her and their arms around each other, bright smiles on all of their faces.

There was something familiar about one of those boys…

I flipped the photograph over, and saw three names— two, actually— that brought the world crashing down around my ears.

_Oh, shit…_

And that's where all of our troubles began.

So…Do you like it? I tried hard to keep Envy in character, but I don't think I did a very good job with him, or Lust either. Please don't flame me, as this is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fic, but constructive criticism is fine.

Review, please!


	2. Salt in My Wounds

Did you know classical music is good for writer's block? At least, it helped me out. My mom's jaw practically dropped to the ground when she found me listening to it and writing this out in a notebook.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! To tell the truth, I'm kind of curious about the lack of Fullmetal Alchemist crossovers. Are there any others out there?

Okay, I've stalled you long enough. READ!

Disclaimer: See first chapter

Regret is a dull and rusty blade

That covers me with scars that never fade

These wounds, like a catalog of flaws

Serve to remind me of all the pain I caused

Assemblage 23

"Fullmetal— what is this?"

Filled with annoyance, Ed turned around and froze. In Colonel Mustang's hand was the picture that normally resided in his breast pocket, and no one, not even Al, knew about it. Cursing angrily, Ed lunged at the Colonel.

"Give that back!"

Unfortunately Mustang, being the much taller of the two, managed to keep Ed at bay while he studied the photo. It portrayed Ed and Al and a young girl in between them, their arms wrapped around each other and beaming at the camera. A vicious kick to his shin caused him to look down into Ed's infuriated golden eyes. The boy in question was currently spouting off obscenities and demanding his picture back, all in the same breath and so fast Mustang had trouble discerning it.

"What's that, Fullmetal?" Cupping a hand around his ear, Mustang bent down. "I'm sorry— I couldn't hear you way down there."

Mustang paid dearly for his comment when a fist crashed into his jaw and Ed yelled "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE HIM WITH A MICROSOPE, YOU JERK?"

In the confusion, Mustang also lost his grip on the picture, which was snatched back by an irate Fullmetal. Rubbing his sore jaw and glaring at his young subordinate, Mustang ceased scowling when he saw how gently Ed was smoothing the picture out and the soft light in his eyes as he gazed at it.

Mustang knew Ed had his soft spots— Al, Winry, small children, books. It appeared that that the young girl also claimed his affections. About to ask who the girl in the picture was, the Colonel saw he had pondered too long. Fullmetal was already stomping out the door.

Ed stormed off to his dorm, face set in a scowl. Everyone gave him a wide berth, having learned by now that Ed would just run them over if they tried to talk to him now.

The Fullmetal Alchemist sighed as the door closed after him, then walked forward and flopped down on the couch. All the fight had drained out of him, and he found himself caught up in memories of the past. Ed's fingers groped in his breast pocket and found the picture, pulling it out and holding it in front of his face.

Three faces smiled out at him. His own face, when he had had short hair and no fake limbs. Al's face, his dirty blonde hair tumbling over his forehead and his large silvery-gray eyes bright and laughing. And lastly, Serena's face.

_She sure as hell stands out from us_, Ed thought, a trace of a smile on his face. Indeed, contrasting with the Elrics' light golden skin, Serena's skin was pale and a snowy white color. Her hair was a rich gold, shimmering in the late afternoon sun, and her dark blue eyes shone as she held onto her two best friends.

She had always been smaller and more fragile-looking, but looks could be deceiving. Serena had had almost as much energy as Ed, and was a lot less meek than she let on. They had only known her for two years, but those years had made them inseparable. But the year Mom died, just a few months before her death…

_Flashback_

_Ed yelped as he tripped, falling face first into the gravel road. But as soon as he touched the ground, he was up again and running to the train station. Al was sick, so he couldn't come along with him to see Serena off._

_Ed arrived at the train station just in time, practically falling over in relief when he saw that Serena was still there. She was sitting on her suitcase, looking miserable and teary-eyed and not looking at her parents. Her head jerked up when he called her name, and smile burst onto her face like the sun coming out from behind a cloud._

_Serena hugged Ed as he bent over, wheezing from running for so long. After he caught his breath, Ed dug around in his pocket and pulled out something that shone bright silver. Serena gasped in shock, her slender hands reaching out to cup the silver locket. She stared at him uncomprehendingly. _

"_Ed…I don't understand. This is your mother's locket!"_

"_Yeah. Mom wanted you to have it."_

_Gently, Serena pried the lid open and smiled at the picture of a toddler Ed and a baby Al, held by their mother and father. She looked back up at Ed, who was grinning and had locked his hands behind his head. Serena opened her mouth and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind._

"_Ed, would you transmute something for me?" Ed paused for a minute, eyes clouding over with thought. He glanced around, then turned and yanked up a large weed behind him. The oldest Elric scratched a transmutation circle on the ground and then placed the weed on it. He closed his eyes and put his hands on the circle, opening them and smiling victoriously as light shot up from the ground._

_Where the weed had been, there was now a single red rose that had just unfurled. Ed grinned at Serena's gasp of delight as he picked it up and offered it to her. Serena took it, smiling as she breathed in the sweet scent._

_Quick as a flash, Serena leaned over and kissed Ed on the cheek. The boy's eyes got large and round as a dark red blush spread over his cheeks. He put his hand up to touch the spot her lips had met his skin, blushing even more as he looked at Serena. She too was red in the face, but smiling and looking him in the eye._

"_Equivalent exchange…right, Ed?"_

_The train whistle blew, and Serena's father called sharply for his daughter. Serena sighed, hung her head, and embraced her friend one last time._

"_You won't forget me, will you?" she asked._

"_You? Heck no, I couldn't forget you if I wanted to!" Ed teased. Serena smiled and whacked him upside the head, then turned and lugged her suitcase up onto the train. She stuck her head out the window and waved as the train began to move, and kept waving until the train was well out of sight._

_Ed stood there a long time, gazing after the train until his mother came and took him home._

Ed's hand had curled around the picture, crunching the delicate paper. When he realized what he was doing he began desperately trying to smooth it out. No matter what he did, the picture wouldn't unwrinkle. After a minute he nearly smacked himself for being so stupid, then used his alchemy to return the picture to normal.

What would Serena think of him now? What would she think of a dog of the military with two missing limbs, and his brother, with his body missing altogether? What would she say?

Ed glared at his pocket watch, hating it not for the first time or the last, either. As soon as Al and him had the Philosopher's Stone and they were back to normal, this watch was going back where it belonged. Then Al would head back to Resembool, and then Ed would go out to find Serena, and then—

Ed knocked his head repeatedly against the arm of the couch to drive out those thoughts. Serena probably had a boyfriend already, as beautiful as she was bound to be by now. _Wait, where did that come from?_

Okay, so he had always thought Serena was pretty. So what? The burning in his cheeks answered that question for him, and with a groan he buried his face in the cushion.

In any case, there was no way he could just go and show up at her doorstep, not that he even knew where she was. No, Fullmetal couldn't go to Serena, not when there was still blood on his hands. His mother's blood, Al's blood, Nina's blood— he couldn't go. Ed shook his head, trying to block out the thought of dark blue eyes, soft smiles, and the gentle brush of lips against his cheek.

Half-asleep, Ed held his automail arm up, palm facing him. In his mind's eye, he saw blood dripping from the steel.

_There's so much blood_, he thought hazily. _So much…blood…_

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_There's so much blood_, Serena thought, watching it slide down her fingers. A starburst of pain shot up her spine when she moved. She trembled and fought to keep still. It was a good thing the maids were used to cleaning up blood, because her back was staining the sheet and Serena suspected that it was dripping onto the floor.

If she didn't move, the scars would close up just enough that she would be able to move in the morning. A tear dropped from her eye, half turning into a diamond before reverting back. That was the bad thing about the arrays— their power never lasted, even though the scars remained.

Idly, Serena wondered if she had woken her mother with her screaming. Father had tried a new method tonight— heating the knife white-hot before carving symbols into her back.

The black humor struck her then, and she wondered if she would have any bare patches of skin when he was done with her. Serena wondered if she would have any skin left, and not just scar tissue.

It seemed like Father was after more than just diamonds lately. He had begun whipping her longer now, always stopping to study the cuts. Whatever he saw, it infuriated him. Serena grinned weakly. Any trouble for her father was always welcome.

Her mother was having another boring dinner party tomorrow night. Serena was expected to attend, even though she hated sitting with people so much older than her who had nothing interesting to talk about. She shifted and winced as a scar broke open, and reminded herself to wear something dark and modest tomorrow night. It wouldn't do if she suddenly started bleeding on her mother's impeccably clean ballroom floor, now would it?

Maybe Envy or Lust would show up tonight. They might be able to figure out how to get her out of the stupid party. Wait— no. Envy and Lust were out of town on "business". Not for the first time, Serena wondered what her homunculus friends were up to. Oh, well.

Of course, she could always hope that Ed and Al would show up suddenly on the doorstep and sweep her away like in all the fairy tales, and they would live happily ever after.

Pffft. Yeah, right.

But a small part of her continued with it's childish hope, that maybe someday she would see her friends. Just a glimpse on the street would make her day.

It was no use. Ed was a State Alchemist now, and probably had more important things to do than think of a girl he used to know. But maybe…. Bah, she was being stupid again. Envy did tell her that she thought too much, and Lust probably agreed too. Anyway, none of these musings would help her in the morning when Serena went back to being the sickly daughter of a rich alchemist and his perfect wife.

Slowly, gingerly, Serena shifted herself onto her stomach and closed her eyes. In a few moments she was asleep.

Two shadows outside her window slipped in. One sat on the edge of the bed, while the other leaned against the wall. For a long moment there was silence.

"You know we shouldn't have come." Lust's soft, velvety voice broke the stillness.

"Mmmh," Envy muttered, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He wrapped a golden curl around his finger, lightly stroking it with his thumb. Lust wasn't sure whether to roll her eyes or smile.

"She thinks we've gone out of town," Lust remarked, trying to bring Envy back out of la-la land.

"Let her keep on thinking that. The Stone can wait."

For once Lust couldn't agree more. Glancing at Serena's moon-white face and then at the blood-soaked sheets, she decided to pay a visit to the man who dared call himself Serena's father soon. Very soon.

But not tonight. For now, they would watch over Serena.

So what do you think?

Next Chapter: Serena and the Elrics have a reunion, Mustang has something up his sleeve and Envy and Lust have an argument.

Read and Review, please!


	3. Plots and Reunions

To the reviewers who wanted a triangle- I'm sorry, I really am, but there will be no EnvySerenaEd. A triangle would definitely have been nice, but with what I've got in mind for this story, it probably wouldn't go over too well. Envy and Lust think of Serena as a little sister. I truly am sorry, I hate disappointing my readers. If you like, I'll try my hand at writing an EnvySerenaEd triangle in a different fic. In fact, I'm already starting to get an idea...

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. Please don't rub it in.

Roy Mustang was currently pissed off.

All his subordinates knew well enough to leave the Flame Alchemist alone when he was in one of his moods or else they might get 'accidentally' barbecued. Mustang was currently glaring at a folder on his desk, and if looks could kill, there would be nothing left of the folder except for scorch marks on his desk. But then Hawkeye would shoot at him and probably force him to do another mountain of paperwork as punishment, so the Colonel had to simply be content with glaring.

Sighing, Mustang opened the folder and looked at the first paper and the photograph clipped to it. It was a survellience photo of a middle-aged, brown-haired man with large glasses. Name: Ken Tsukino. Age: 34. Occupation: jewelry alchemist.

The next photo showed a lovely woman with long, shining blue-violet hair and dark blue eyes. What bothered Mustang was the blankness of her eyes, as if she had nothing going on behind them. For some reason, it simply made his skin crawl. Name: Ilene Tsukino. Age: 31. Occupation: None. Muttering to himself, the Colonel picked up the last page and froze.

Well. This was interesting. It was the same girl in Ed's picture. Older, definitely, but those eyes were hard to mistake.

This photograph showed a delicate-looking girl with long blonde hair and large, soul-piercing blue eyes. Name: Serena Tsukino. Age:15. Occupation: None. The paper went on to describe Serena as a shy, sickly child who was often kept inside, due to her extreme fragility. Storing that information away, Mustang drummed his fingers thoughtfully on his desk.

This was unnatural. A man should not be producing diamonds in such quantities, and so fast. There was no history of a diamond mine in that town, and the State strictly forbade the production of any precious stones by alchemy. Not only was this unnatural, it was worrisome, what with the condition of Tsukino's daughter. Mustang had a hunch, nothing more, that Serena's illness and the generous heapings of diamonds being sold were connected, but his hunches were often frighteningly correct.

The Colonel would have to send Ed in, then. As soon as Fullmetal found out what was happening his friend (and possible crush), he would probably scream and insult his superior and demand to go anyway. They boy would go into one of his fits of fury when he learned the truth, and for once Mustang was pleased to turn him loose on someone else. He would _not_ want to be Ken Tsukino when Ed saw what was going on.

Mustang wasn't going to tell his young subordinate, though, for three reasons. One, he wanted Ed to have a little time to rebuild his friendship with Serena, not just go charging in to arrest her father. He _did_ care about Edward, no matter what harsh words passed between them. Two, Serena might testify willingly against her father if she thought there was someone in the military she could trust. And three, he did _not_ want Fullmetal blow up the whole town in his quest for vengeance.

The Colonel stood up and stalked to the door, yanking it open to poke his head out. "Lieutenant Hawkeye!"

Riza looked up, reddish-brown eyes calm even though her hand was inching toward her gun. "Yes, sir?"

"Find Fullmetal and tell him I have a mission for him," Mustang paused, a gleam entering his dark eyes. "Tell him to hurry. I think he'll like this one."

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"So what's the Colonel got for me this time?" Ed inquired grumpily as he trotted to keep up with Lieutenant Hawkeye.

"He didn't say. The Colonel merely stated you would like this mission." _There's a first time for everything._

Ed snorted disbelievingly and mumbled to himself, obviously doubting that last statement. Not that Hawkeye blamed him. There was always a double meaning behind Colonel Mustang's words.

Riza waited edgily as Ed entered the office. Silence. She wasn't sure if silence was a good or bad thing. Surely the Colonel would yelp more if Ed was mauling him? Still silence. Then an explosion.

"OF ALL THE FUCKING NERVE!"

The door slammed open, revealing a literally smoking at the ears Edward Elric. His face was an interesting shade of red, and a vein was throbbing at his temple. All of the former were impending danger signs, and everyone in the office quickly arranged themselves so they wouldn't be mowed down. Luckily Ed never noticed, too busy fuming about whatever it was the Colonel had said. The Fullmetal Alchemist was so furious he couldn't even finish his own sentences.

"Why that dirty... how could he THINK...freaking insane...I do NOT...smug, smirking...RRRGGHHHH!" Ed roared out the last part as turned and kicked the door, successfully leaving an indent of his foot in it before he whirled and stomped out, still shouting nonsense phrases. Everyone heard him as he stormed down the hall, occasionally punctuated by loud crashes that conveyed Ed's mood. No one moved until the noises had long since faded. Then, slowly, everyone tiptoed over to peer into Mustang's office.

Roy was leaning back in his chair, a broad smirk across his face. Riza automatically decided to get the Colonel more paperwork. Lots and LOTS more paperwork. He enjoyed torturing Edward far too much.

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Serena winced as she sat down on a bench at the train station. She was dressed in a black turtleneck and black jeans, just to be on the safe side. Her father had practically ripped her back open to the bone with his administrations. Luckily for his daughter he had realized his mistake and quickly forced her to drink some sort of vile healing potion before she bled to death. Serena's nose crinkled as she remembered how violently her stomach had tried to reject the alien substance.

Serena's hand found it's way to her neck, gently running her thumb over the locket that Ed had given her. She couldn't thank Trisha enough for giving her this last memento and grieved constantly for the her, because she was the only mother figure Serena had ever had. The teenager couldn't even begin to compare Trisha and Ilene, the differences were so obvious. While Ilene preferred preening in front of the mirror and gossipping, Trisha loved spending time with her children and devoting her life to helping others less fortunate.

The woman had been an angel, an earth angel that was rarely ever seen, much less heard of. Serena had adored Trisha, and the Elrics' mother had viewed the young girl as one of her own children. It had broken Serena's heart when she had heard of her death, and for days she had refused to leave her room or eat. It was then that Serena began to drift away from her parents, preferring to sit on the roof of their home for long hours and think.

The train pulled in with a screech, making Serena flinch and stand up abruptly. To think she had almost forgotten who she had come here for!

_You? Heck no, I couldn't forget you if I wanted to!_

Serena felt a smile grace her lips as she remembered Ed's words from six years past. Her friend had never lied to her yet, and she intended to keep believing him. Serena strained on her toes to peer over the heads of the crowd- it was rather annoying to be at least a head shorter than everyone else. She glimpsed a flash of gold, bright in the dim evening light. All time seemed to stand still for her as bright golden eyes locked on her own blue ones.

Ed looked older, definitely, with a sharper face and different clothes. He had been letting his hair grow out, and it was tucked in a neat braid that nearly reached mid-back. Quite frankly, to Serena he looked like an...angel. Honestly, he did.

Next to him stood a large suit of armor that towered over everyone else in the station. It couldn't be...Al? But there was no one else next to Ed, so it had to be Al. Serena's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. Then she shrugged it off and bolted toward them, skidding to a stop in front of them and throwing her arms around Ed. He was warm, and wonderfully solid against her petite frame as he hugged her back hesitantly, and there was a faint tangy smell of steel lingering around him. Serena buried her face in his chest, inhaling it discreetly.

At last Serena tugged away and turned to embrace Al. The youngest Elric was cold and uncomfortably hard against her, poking her rather roughly with the sharp points as she barely came up to Al's waist. She was even shorter than Ed, and that was saying something, though Serena tried to refrain from joking to Ed about his height. Alphonse laughed, almost as if sensing her thoughts as she let go of him.

"Guess you haven't changed much, Sere," Al remarked, still laughing a little. "If I wasn't in this armor, you'd have crushed me."

"Heeey...are you trying to imply you don't like my hugs?" Serena pouted mockingly. A gentle yank on her hair made her turn to swat at Ed, unable to stop smiling.

"You've been letting your hair grow out," he remarked, looking not at the golden hair he held in his fist, but at her face. Serena blushed, unable to help herself, then reached up to tug at his chin-length bangs sharply, but not hard enough to hurt. Much.

"So have you."

Ed released her hair, a little smile on his face as they began to bicker as they walked out of the train station.

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If anyone had been bothering to look up into the shadowy rafters of the station at the moment, they would have seen a most interesting sight indeed. Envy was currently trying to jump off the rafters after the pipsqueak and his brother, but he wasn't succeeding. Lust had him by the back of his shirt and was refusing to let go, even employing her claws from time to time.

"Lemme GO, Lust! Stupid pipsqueak, what does he think he's doing! OY-" Lust clamped her hand over Envy's mouth to keep him from yelling a challenge after Fullmetal. Honestly, the shapeshifter was getting very hard to deal with.

"Stop trying to bite my hand, Envy!" Lust snapped in irritation. "Before you say another word, look at Serena."

Envy did, and stilled almost immediately. Lust removed her hand from his mouth, but kept a hold of his shirt in case he tried to jump again. It was easy to see why her 'brother' had stopped. Serena had a warm glow practically radiating off of her, and a soft, happy look in her eyes that neither of them had ever seen before. For the first time, she didn't look as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"You know you can't kill Fullmetal, Envy. He's the closest one to creating the stone for us right now." _And he makes Serena forget about her father, something we can never do._

Envy settled grumpily, mumbling explicitly under his breath about short alchemists and annoying clawed women. When he finished, he turned and scowled at Lust.

"Fine, I won't do anything to the pipsqueak," Envy growled. "But if he hurts her in any way, he forfeits his worth."

_He didn't even need to say that. We both know what we'd do if the boy hurt Serena, _Lust mused. For the moment, she indulged herself in a pleasant fantasy of ripping Ken Tsukino's body to shreds with her claws. A sinister smile found it's way onto her lips. That day was coming soon.

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(shivers) Ooooh...I wouldn't wanna be Serena's dad right now, not with Lust, Envy, and Ed coming after him. Don't worry, he'll get his due...but in an unexpected way. (grins evilly)

Ed: (eyes suspicously) What are you plotting?

Nothing, nothing...

Ed: What the heck did the Colonel say to me, anyway?

(sweatdrops) You figure it out.

Read and review, please!


	4. Nothing To Be Ashamed Of

(smiles) My reviewers are too good to me... (hands out bags of chocolate dutch mints) Yeah, I do plan on making a Roy/Serena or two in the future, including a couple of Scar/Serena fics along with anything else my crazy mind can cook up. I was planning on making a little side story to this one, where Scar saves Serena from Gluttony. What do you think? Anyways, here's some angst and a little EdSere romance.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story.

Serena tossed in her sleep and flung off the blankets, whimpering faintly as her brand new scars stung viciously. Her eyes cracked open, bright with a feverish light. So much for getting time off from her 'work'. Father really didn't seem to care that they had guests in the house, except he took the time to gag her and shackle her, which he never did before. Serena flinched as she remembered the pain of the whip that cracked across her back, and the knife that pierced her fragile skin.

The transmutation circles he carved on her back were getting stranger and stranger. He still forced her to cry diamonds, but it was now obvious that he was after something else. The new circles always made Serena feel weak and sick, and the afteraffects were terrible. Headaches, dizziness, nausea-- the list went on and on.

Hot tears slid from the corners of her eyes. Serena lifted a bloodstained hand and rubbed them away. She sorely wished that someone would come in here and help her. If only Envy and Lust hadn't gone away... More miserable tears slipped down her face. The homonculi always found a way to cheer her up, whether they meant to or not. But...

She wished Ed would come and hold her.

A sour taste grew in the back of her mouth, and Serena's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. She jumped to her feet and ran out the door, making it to the bathroom just in time. When her stomach finished emptying itself, she washed her hands and face and rinsed her mouth out, spitting out the vile taste of vomit and blood. A knock on the bathroom door made her jump.

"Are you okay?" Ed's concerned voice drifted through the door. Serena froze in shock. This wasn't good. Her nightgown was stained with blood, and dripping it on the tiled floor. She grabbed a dark bathrobe and yanked it on, shoving some towels over the bloodstained part of the floor with her foot.

"I'm okay!" Serena's hands shook violently as she tied the bathrobe's belt. Why, why, _why_ did Ed have to have such bad timing? After a quick glance in the mirror to assure herself, she slid out the door.

Ed's golden eyes scrutinized her in the moonlight. "Are you sure you're alright? I heard you being sick in there."

Serena cringed inwardly and prayed that Ed would just drop it, even though she knew it was hopeless. Ed would stick to the subject til the end of time. It also didn't help that the eldest Elric could always tell when she was lying.

"I need some fresh air," she muttered, quickly slipping past him and out onto the balcony. To her chagrin and secret delight, Ed followed her. Serena tried to glare at him, but wound up smiling instead. It faded when she looked curiously at Ed's right arm. It gleamed darkly in the moonlight, with it's own strange beauty. She had more or less figured out how Ed had come into possession of his automail, and how Alphonse had happened to be in that armor. They had more than likely attempted human transmutation. Serena hadn't approached them about it, and neither Elric had showed any inclination of wanting to talk about it.

Ed shifted uncomfortably and came to stand by her, conveniently placing his left side next to her. Serena couldn't help the little frown that worked it's way onto her features. _Is he ashamed of his automail? _The frown deepened into a scowl. _What's to be ashamed of?_ Her hand reached out and clasped his metal wrist. Ed yanked his arm away, opening his mouth to yell at her, but he never got the chance. Serena pressed two fingers against his lips, not noticing the dark blush that spread over his cheeks.

"Stop it. You keep moving to hide it. I want to see."

This time, when she reached for his arm, Ed didn't pull away. Serena ran her hand gently over the steel, tracing wires and joints, admiring the way the metal warmed and shone against her touch. She didn't notice that Ed was practically beet red in the face.

Clearly, this arm was the work of a master craftsman--or woman, in this case. Serena placed her palm against Ed's metal one, gently twining their fingers together. Ed fingers tightened briefly, then tugged away. The young girl grinned impishly at him.

"See? That wasn't so bad," she insisted. Ed snorted, and muttered something under his breath, the faintest traces of pink still present on his face. Serena kissed his cheek, dark blue eyes warm as they looked into his startled golden orbs.

"Good night, Ed," Serena stated softly, turning and walking out the door. Ed didn't move. It would be a long time before he went in.

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Ed glared in frustration at the stony-faced woman in front of him. Serena gave him a weak smile from the bed behind the woman. Inwardly, she groused about her lost chance to spend time with Ed and Al. She wasn't sick! It was all her stupid Father's fault. The look Serena threw at the wall when she was sure no one was looking would probably have made an army turn tail and run.

"Go on, you two," Serena insisted. "I'll be up tomorrow, no problem. Why don't you go explore the town? They've got a really nice library close by."

Al nodded, quickly dragging his older brother off before Ed could cause a scene. Serena leveled a glare at the stony-faced maid's back until the woman turned around and pinned the younger one with the evil eye. Serena meeped in fear, quickly scooting away and turning to face the wall. The young girl reviewed every swear word she'd ever heard and used them on her father, even making up a few new one's in the process.

Maybe she could talk the maid into letting her out... Serena paused and remembered the evil look the maid had given her.

Okay, maybe not.

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Ed scowled murderously at the stack of books in front of him. For once, he didn't feel like reading, even though Al seemed happy enough to do just that. Al, noticing his brother's behaviour, sighed and put down the book he was perusing.

"Brother, you need to stop sulking. Serena probably just ate something that didn't agree with her last night." Ed's hand froze as it reached for a book.

"She didn't eat anything last night Al." The younger Elric paused, recalling how Serena had only picked at her food. Ed pushed on relentlessly.

"And what about the relationship between her and her parents? I didn't hear Serena say one thing to either of them, she didn't even look at them if she could help it," Ed insisted. Al groaned as his brother continued to rattle on. Why was Ed always so inclined to think the worst of everything?

"--and last night, when she came out of the bathroom, she looked afraid for some weird reason. It was like she was scared of being caught throwing up." Ed stopped as something niggled at him in the back of his memory. When Serena had gotten close to him, he had smelled blood. And come to think of it, there had been a little spot of blood on his automail when he had woken up in the morning. Ed had assumed that she had just cut herself on a sharp bit of his automail and dismissed it. When Ed relayed this information to Al, the giant suit of armor began to worry too.

"Excuse me," said a soft voice behind them. The Elrics jumped nervously and turned to see a young woman with short blue hair and kind blue eyes. "Are you staying at the Tsukino residence?" At the nods she received, she continued. "Could you give this to Serena and tell her it's from Lita?" The blue haired woman held out a a package. "Serena is usually haunting the library at this time. Where is she?"

"She's...not well," Alphonse said lamely.

"Miss..Amy, right?" Ed said, spotting the librarian's name card. "Do you know what Serena's dad does?"

Amy gazed at him thoughtfully, then answered. "He is a jeweler and an alchemist. No one really knows what he does with his alchemy, he's very secretive about it." Here Amy paused, a little frown on her lips. "You said Serena was ill?"

"Yes..." Al said quietly.

"That's odd," Amy murmered. Ed pounced on that bit of information.

"What's odd?" Amy fixed him with a peculiar stare.

"I work part time as a doctor, and Serena is one of my patients. She is a strong, healthy girl, even though she's a little malnourished. The last checkup I gave her was extremely strange though. She kept coughing up blood, and I couldn't find the reason why. When I asked her to remove her shirt, her father practically went berserk and forbade it. In the end he marched Serena out, and I haven't seen them in my office since. Is something the matter?"

"No, ma'am," said Al, quickly covering for his shell-shocked brother.

"Amy, do you know where the books on alchemy are?" Ed asked, standing up abruptly.

"Yes, they're in the back--" The librarian never finished her sentence. The brothers were already out of their chairs and racing to the back, leaving a bemused young woman.

"What exactly are we looking for, Brother?" Al asked some time later. Ed flipped through another book, then tossed it aside before answering.

"I'm not exactly sure, Al," Ed said heavily. "Some sort of alchemy that needs to be engraved on the human flesh? But what would he gain from it...?"

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_Come on, Fullmetal,_ Lust thought in barely veiled irritation. _It's not that hard, boy, put it together!_

Of course, it was good fortune that Fullmetal had realized something was wrong so quickly. She had expected it to be at least another day before the boys noticed anything. Lust did not pray, but she was severely close to it now. They had found out exactly how Ken Tsukino planned to extract a Philosopher's Stone from his daughter's body.

Envy, in the guise of a maid, had pawed through Tsukino's research notes and had come up with several horrifying facts. He would extract the soul from Serena's body and imprison it in a crystal made of his own daughter's blood. The younger the subject, the better the stone. But without her soul, Serena would simply become a shell. Her body would continue to function, but she would have no spark, no life. And when the stone's power was used up, the soul would simply fade from existance. It would not move on to wherever souls went after their body's death.

This would _not_ happen. Neither Envy nor Lust would allow it, even if they had to drag Fullmetal, kicking and screaming. But Lust could only wait, and urge the boys to hurry. She had left Envy to watch over Serena, so she was confident Tsukino would not try anything.

Lust smiled chillingly, lengthening her claws slightly. Once Serena was safe, there was nothing that could stop her from tearing Tsukino apart. Of course, she would definitely let Fullmetal beat him up first. Being whaled on by an angry, talented young alchemist with a metal arm and leg was bound to hurt quite a bit.

The boys were still talking. Suddenly the Fullmetal pipsqueak jumped up, hit himself on the head with his palm and ran out the door, shouting angrily. Judging from his reaction, he had more or less figured it out. The younger one called out to him, clanking as he ran to keep up.

_And the games begin._

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Okay, things are starting to get serious.

FMA cast: THAT'S THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY!

Well, maybe it is... Sorry if I sucked at the romance, and if this was too short. Anyway, please read and review!... OH! Before I forget, here's a clip from the next chapter.

_"Envy, what am I going to do?"_ _Serena whispered tearfully. "Father's thrown out Ed and Al, and now I can't even leave the house!"_

_The homonculus wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, pressing her face against his chest as she trembled._

_"Envy...When will I ever get out of this place?"_


	5. Cold Hard Truth

Thank you all for reviewing! (tosses out bags of M&Ms)

I'm going straight to hell for this one...

Disclaimer: Own nada.

Ed called himself six different kinds of idiot as he hurtled through the town, dodging people left and right. His mind barely registered Al's shouts and the clanking of metal armor as his younger brother tried to catch up with him. They were just outside the Tsukino residence when Ed bent double, trying to regain his wind. Al, who had finally caught up, was confused, upset and worried because he did not understand his older brother's sudden actions.

"Brother, what was all that about? You just ran out of the library and I couldn't understand what you were yelling. What's wrong?" Ed did not look up. Instead he spoke in the heavy, serious tone he used when he talked about deep things that pained him.

"Think, Al. What does Tsukino do?"

"He's an alchemist and a jeweler..." Alphonse started, then stopped as reality dealt him a painful blow. "You don't mean--"

"That's exactly what I mean, Al. The State doesn't allow the production of jewels by alchemy, so that bastard decided to be sneaky about it and used some different way to get his jewels."

"And the thing he's been using is Serena," Al finished, horrified. Ed's automail creaked as his fist tightened and he turned and punched the wall viciously, then shot through the gate and headed for the door. The younger Elric followed without a word.

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Serena had almost nodded off when she happened to look out the window and saw Ed, running around the corner like someone had set his coat on fire. She watched him as he bent over and Al stopped by him. After a few minutes Ed struck the wall and ran up to the door, flinging the door open so that it let out a loud _bang_ that echoed all through the house.

Frowning, Serena glanced around to make sure the maid was gone, then untangled herself from the covers and padded lightly over to the door. She listened carefully, until she was sure there was no one outside and slipped out. It was late evening, and she looked like a ghost in her overlarge white shirt and pale gray shorts as she wandered down the halls. Serena jumped when something flickered out of the corner of her eye, then chuckled nervously when she realized it was just a mirror. The bright surface reflected her pale, frightened face back at her, mocking her with her own half-rational fears. Shouting from downstairs drew Serena's attentions to the entry hall, where she peered over the railing and sucked in her breath in shock.

Ed stood there next to Al, shouting and screaming and looking the angriest she had ever seen him. The object of his rage was her own father, looking poised and unruffled as always. Her old friend's words pierced her ears, bringing with them the bittersweet ring of truth.

"--fucking bastard! You think you're so clever, don't you! Using your own daughter to get your precious jewels! Do those stupid hunks of rock mean more to you than your own flesh and blood? Don't answer that! I already know. And you know what else I know? I know--"

But what Ed knew, Serena didn't hear, because suddenly there was a dart in Ed's neck and he had fallen over. Al cried out, hurrying towards his brother just as Serena made a mad dash for the stairs. Two strong, wiry arms grabbed her, one going up to cover her mouth and the other circling around her slim waist as the owner dragged her back in the direction of her room. Serena knew who it was that held her, but that didn't stop her from kicking out viciously and trying to squirm away desperately, her eyes locked on Ed's limp form cradled in Al's arms before she was dragged out of sight.

Back in her room, the young girl turned on Envy in a blind fury. The homonculus just barely managed to dodge a punch aimed his way, quickly grabbing both her wrists in order to keep her from harming herself--and him. Serena's eyes blazed as she strained against him, trying to kick his legs out from under him. Envy wrestled her down to the floor, taking a few painful blows on the way. The homonculus couldn't help but feel a grim sense of pride at her strength--he and Lust had insisted on teaching Serena a few defensive and offensive moves.

"Are you going to stop now?" The green-haired sin demanded. His only response was a glare. Somehow she twisted out from underneath him and lunged at him again, drawing her fist back to knock him into the next world. So Envy did the only thing he could think of at the moment that would force her to get a grip. He morphed into the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Serena froze, her fist an inch from Ed/Envy's face, then drew back, the fight draining out of her almost instantaneously. She turned her back to him, her shoulders shaking as she tried not to cry. When Serena finally got control of herself, she spoke softly.

"That was cruel, Envy." Lightining crackled around the golden-haired alchemist's body as the sin transformed back into his original form.

"Punching someone's face in because they tried to help you is cruel, too," Envy retorted. The sin regretted his words instantly when he saw Serena's body flinched and she slid down to floor in a fetal position, wrapping her arms around her legs. With an inward sigh, Envy crouched next to her and reached for her just as the doorknob jiggled. The homonculus quickly sprang out the window, keeping close so he could hear what was being said. It was Tsukino.

"Your friends have left. You are not to go outside the grounds, and you are not to coerce anyone into looking for them for you. I expect you to attend your mother's party tonight, with no tantrums and less of the lip you gave her guests the last time we hosted them."

"Yes, _Father_." Envy had never heard that acid tone from Serena before. The mocking emphasis she put on the word 'father' only further peaked his curiousity about what Tsukino would do. If the man tried to touch her at all, there would be hell to pay. Lust would complain if he killed the bastard before she got her hands on him, but who cared? He had a score to settle.

"And watch your tongue, girl," Tsukino said coldly as he exited the room, the doorknob clicking shut behind him. Envy waited for a few seconds, then slid back into the room. Serena was in exactly the same place he had left her, curled up with a lost look in her eyes. She gazed up at him forlornly.

"Envy, what am I going to do?" Serena whispered tearfully. "Father's thrown out Ed and Al, and now I can't even leave the house!"

The homonculus wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, pressing her face against his chest as she trembled.

"Envy...When will I ever get out of this place?"

The sin had no answer to that.

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Serena rested her head wearily against the back of her chair, fighting to keep her eyes open. The candlelight flickered annoyingly, making it hard to stay awake. She wished that they would just let her go to bed already. She was in an exceedingly bad mood and had made no effort whatsoever to hide it from everyone else in the room.

Serena almost nodded off again, before being rudely awakened by her father's booming voice right next to her ear.

"Why, the poor thing, she's all worn out. I'd better take her up to bed!"

Serena glared half-heartedly at her father, drawing soft and false laughter out of everyone present, including her own mother. The teenager twisted in her seat to skewer her mother with a glare, then stopped and peered at her.

What was that thing glittering around her mother's neck? It was nothing that Serena had seen before, and yet she was certain that Mother had not gotten anything new. Come to think of it, nearly every female in the room had something similar around her neck or dangling at her ears. It was like a bunch of little crystalline drops twined together.

_Am I missing something here?_

Father grabbed her arm in a vicelike grip and hauled her out the door. Tired or no, Serena snarled at him in anger and dug her nails into his arm. He yelped and released her, clutching his bleeding arm in shock. Then he was himself again, cool and untouchable and perfect. He gripped her more firmly and dragged her down towards the lab. Serena struggled and screamed, as loud as she could, but no one came. What was even odder was that her father made no effort to silence her. It sent chills up and down her spine for some reason.

The man tossed her to the floor as he stepped into the lab, securely locking the door behind him. Serena jumped for the window, but Father shoved her down to the floor with an almost careless air and held her down as he shackled her face-first to the floor. It was then she noticed she was laying on a rather odd transmutation circle, with loops and curls that practically never ended. It made her feel sick just to look at it.

But now Father was back, with a knife in his hand. Serena choked back a scream as the tip of the knife sank into her tender, barely-healed flesh, drawing a circle that she could not see. Every second dragged on for an hellish eternity, as she bit her lip until the blood dripped down in a steady stream.

_IwillnotscreamIwillnotscreamIwillnotscream--_

Crimson light exploded from the circle on her back, and she couldn't hold back the agonized howl that burst out of her. The world seemed to buck beneath her, swirling sickeningly in front of her eyes. Her nails dug into her palms, until she was bleeding there as well.

When the world finally stopped pitching, Serena turned stiffly to look at her father. He was holding a clear red stone about the size of a silver dollar, and gazing at it with an almost reverent look on his face. Then he turned to her, the dim light reflecting off of his glasses and giving him an almost eerie appearance. She shrank away from him as far as the chains would allow. Father grabbed the shackle that was nearest to him and unlocked it, then started on the next one.

Serena stared at him hazily, wondering if he had finally lost his mind. Then she realized any worries he might have had were needless--she was too weak to move, let alone get up. Father rolled her over so that she was laying on her back on the strange transmutation circle. She peered up at him, then noted with a fresh thrill of horror that he was picking up the knife again. Serena tried to get up, and yet again failed. Fear was beginning to freeze her up, and the panicky little voice in her head shrieked that she was going to die, and why wasn't anyone coming to save her?

Serena closed her eyes in preparation for the pain that was sure to tear her apart...but none came. Only the palest shred of pain on her breastbone. She opened her eyes, seeing that Father was carving yet another circle slightly below her collarbone, just barely deep enough to draw blood. When he finished, he placed the red stone over it and pressed down. Red light started to glow and pulse softly from beneath his palm, until it suddenly blazed up in the circle below her.

Red sparks exploded in her vision as her body convulsed, and Serena was almost convinced that she was in hell. It felt like her very essence was being wrenched from her into the decievingly harmless-looking little stone. Some part of her that could still think rationally realized that her father was the one doing this, and her hands flew up and and dug into the bloody furrows in his arm that she had created earlier.

The man cried out in pain, yanking his arm away from her. Miraculously, Serena found she could move again as she rolled away from him. She quickly pressed a palm over one of her many wounds, then drew it away saturated in blood. She drew a somewhat sloppy transmutation circle, then placed one of the chains over it and activated it.

As the silver light gleamed and twisted the chain, Serena turned to look at her father. He had gotten to his feet and was starting toward her, the insane rage burning in his eyes and boring into her. The silver light had faded, and Serena grabbed at her newly transmuted object. Her body knew what it was, even if her mind hadn't registered it yet, as she brought it up and fired one, two, three times.

The gun glittered innocently at her as she stared down at it in stunned realization.

Slowly, Serena tilted her head back to stare into her father's shocked eyes. He stumbled back and fell, clutching at his chest. As far as she could see, she hadn't hit anything too important. One in the shoulder, one in the arm, and the last in the leg. A little voice in her head calmly remarked that her aim needed work.

But...She had shot her own father.

But he had tortured and used his own daughter.

Didn't that make it equivalent exchange?

The lab door flew off it's hinges as Ilene Tsukino burst into the room and immediately went to her husband, cradling him and whispering to him. At that moment, the circle on her chest pulsed painfully, and Serena closed her eyes to fight it off. When she opened her eyes and focused on her mother, she froze as her eyes landed on the necklace her mother wore.

The glittering little clusters were Serena's own tears.

It was as if she had been struck in the face with something heavy, and in a way she had. Her mother. _Her own mother_ had known, had not cared, did not care that her only daughter had suffered for each pretty little drop she wore around her neck. She had only cared about the little trinkets she would get, not minding that her ony child was half dead because of what her husband had done.

Everyone else from the party crowded around Father, exclaiming loudly. Serena gazed around the room, noting her diamond tears that adorned every single female in the room. Not one of these people had minded how they were made, as long as they got something to show off. The circle pulsed again, and Serena gritted her teeth and rose to her feet, turning away from the gathering crowd. If she was going to die, she wanted to do it away from these hateful, hateful people and this hateful, hateful place.

Serena fell, and did not get up.

The red stone gleamed innocently in the dawn's light, as did the gun in her hand.

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Ummmm...Don't kill me? Please? (dodges rotten vegetables and runs off)

Read and review, please!

Next Chapter: The Elrics return, Tsukino's demise (FINALLY!), and a train to Central


	6. Rhythm of Guilt

Disclaimer: Own nada.

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and _she_ was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea:

But we loved with a love that was more than love--

I and my Annabel Lee;

Witha love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her high-born kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a spulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me--

Yes!-- that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee

--Edgar Allan Poe, _Annabel Lee_

Al clasped his hands nervously, wondering hazily when Ed would stop screaming down the phone at Mustang. The gentle young boy had stopped listening to his brother after Ed had resorted to foul language to express his fury towards his superior. Not that Al could blame him-- there were several things he wanted to say to the Colonel too, and none of them were very Al-ish.

Al turned his head to look at Serena. She hadn't moved since they brought her in, nor had she spoken. Her eyes were horrifingly blank-- just a flat blue surface that stared at nothing in particular. Her face was slack and expressionless, and the only sound she made was the slight intake and outake of breath-- Serena must have forgotten how to breathe properly.

Ed had looked through Tsukino's research notes, and had been livid when he'd finished. He had dialed up Mustang and had begun shouting as soon as the other end picked up. Finally he slammed the phone down, ignoring the yells from the other line, and it was only then that Al saw his brother's eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

"_Stupid_," Ed whispered, his voice on the verge of cracking. "That goddamned _stupid_ bastard, he didn't think we'd be able to handle the truth. He keeps treating us like kids, even when he knows we're not... Maybe if he'd said something, she wouldn't _be_ this way."

A tear rolled down his cheek, making a clean track in the dirt and blood that he hadn't bothered to clean off yet. He hadn't bothered to change his torn and bloodstained clothes either, and he hadn't let go of the Philosopher's Stone they had found. Ed's grip on the Stone was so tight that Al cringed slightly, worrying that he would break it. But, really, who could blame him?

_Flash_

_"Are you sure we should be doing this, brother?" Al whispered as Ed helped him through the window. Ed grinned, mischeif in his eyes. _

_"Of course! The old man just chucked us out a few hours ago, he won't be expecting us back already! He's throwing a party tonight, so we just get in, get Serena, and get out. Then we call the military and the Tsukinos get their asses hauled off to jail with no one the wiser!" Al sighed at his brother's entusiasm._

_"You make it sound so simple..."_

_"Just keep quiet, okay? We don't want to get caught." _

_Al paused in front of the ballroom door and listened. _

_"Brother?" Ed turned, and eyebrow raised._

_"Yeah, Al?"_

_"If Serena's father really is having a party, why isn't there anybody behind this door? There's no sound whatsoever coming out of there."_

_Just as Ed was about to answer, a woman's cry rang out from the hall next to them. The brothers quickly ran in the direction of the scream and stopped. There were so many people blocking the way. Ed shoved and elbowed his way through them, Al following and saying 'sorry' every few seconds. Fullmetal finally shoved a particularily annoying guy who refused to move out of his way--and froze. This was like a nightmare, only a hundred times worse, and no matter how many times he pinched himself, he wouldn't wake up._

_Serena was sprawled facefirst in a spreading pool of blood, like a broken doll that someone had tossed down, tired of playing with it. Something glimmered in her right hand. It took Ed a moment to realize that it was a gun. On her left, a shining red stone winked at him innocently._

_His throat seemed to have blocked itself, and he couldn't say a word. He didn't want to believe it. _Serena...no... get up, please get up... Don't leave me, you can't leave me...I never got to tell you... how I really felt... Please, get up, say something, _anything_, I'm begging you...Don't go._ Ed's thoughts whirled around, chasing themselves in circles and leading him straight back to the beginning. _

_There was more blood, a shining trail that led directly to Tsukino, whose whole right arm was being bandaged along with his leg. _That explains the gun,_ Ed thought numbly. He looked from the alchemist to his daughter, and abruptly rage swelled up in him, threatening to engulf his very being._

_Ed stalked forward and grabbed Tsukino by the neck, hoisting him up so they were eye to eye. The boy's golden eyes bore into the man's impassive brown ones, and Ed hated him even more for not showing the slightest bit of emotion. His grip on Tsukino's neck tightened._

_"How _could_ you?" Ed hissed, his eyes like the fires of Hell itself. "How could you do that to her? Damn it, what the fuck is wrong with you? You're a sick, twisted, disgusting bastard! How could you have done that to your own daughter!"_

_Tsukino simply arched an eyebrow. "She was expendable."_

_Ed trembled in shock and rage, his lips white. "Ex..pendable?" he whispered, almost as if he had never heard of such a word. Abruptly, his metal fist clenched and then connected harshly several times with the older man's face. _

_"How DARE you say something like that!" Ed shouted. "You're so goddamn blind! Any other man would have been proud to have a daughter like her! But NO, you're just too--" He struggled to find words to describe what the man--no, he wasn't worthy of being called a man-- was, and came up empty-handed. There was no word vile enough, sick enough, _wrong_ enough to describe what he had done and what he was._

_Tsukino gazed at him cooly, then said the words that ultimately sealed his fate. "Is that all?"_

_Ed snarled, wrenched Tsukino up by the neck, and flung him into the opposite wall, effectively knocking him unconcious. He advanced on him, clearly not done, until Al spoke up._

_"Brother, she's still alive!" Ed's golden head snapped around, immediately spotting Serena, nestled in Al's arms. He let out a choked cry, stumbling forward, reaching for her. She said nothing._

_"Serena," the young alchemist whispered. "Come on, quit faking...It's not funny anymore."_

_Serena didn't move, merely continued to gaze upward without any real interest. Ed hesitantly touched her face, cupping her cheek and turning her toward him. She gave no sign that she recognized either him or Al. _

_Ed broke down, sobbing softly as he buried his face against her shoulder, clutching at her frail form and whispering 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,' over and over again. He held her as if she were the only life preserver in a stormy sea. She did not embrace him back, merely lay there, unmoving and unfeeling._

_Slowly, Ed detached himself from Serena and motioned for Al to follow him, picking up Tsukino's research notes and the Stone. The crowd immediately parted, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Ilene glared up at them from beside her husband._

_"You can't just leave him like this!" she shouted. Ed threw her a look of such withering scorn and contempt over his shoulder that the empty-headed woman shrank back in fear._

_"Watch me," Ed said simply, walking out the door._

_End flash_

Al flipped through Tsukino's notes, his horror mounting with each page. The imprisonment of a human soul...It was cruelty beyond belief. Kind of ironic, coming from him, but he had chosen to live on like this until he could fix himself. Al looked over at Serena, who was being held by his brother. Ed cradled her, whispering softly and smoothing her hair away from her face. Ed glanced up at his brother, his golden eyes so tired and worn that he looked years older.

"Get some rest, Al. We're leaving for Central in the morning," he stated softly. Al's body clanked loudly as he jumped up and stared at his brother in flat-out shock.

"We can't just leave her--"

"We're not, Al," Ed said, still in that strange, soft tone. "We're taking her with us."

Ken Tsukino stared mutely up at the ceiling of the hospital bed he was on. A shadow flickered past his window, but he didn't notice it. Only when a soft giggle reached his ears did he sit up. No one was there.

Shadows flickered in the corner, and the soft giggle sounded again. Tsukino looked around wildly, and still saw nothing. Then he looked at the foot of his bed, and nearly fell off.

"Y-you--"

Serena Tsukino smiled brightly, arranging herself so that she was more comfortable. "Me," she agreed pleasantly.

"You can't be--your soul--"

"Was sucked out of my body, into a little red stone that you intended to use for your own greedy purposes," Serena said, her smile still pleasant, but her eyes had gained a hard, cynical glint.

"How-"

"What's wrong, Daddy Dearest? Sad to see your life's work crumbling down around you?" she mocked, resting her chin on her hand and favoring him with an eerie chesire cat smile.

"You--you're not her!" Tsukino stammered out. Serena stood up and stretched luxuriously, her eyes shut. When they opened again, she pinned Tsukino with a wicked smile.

"No, I'm not," she said amiably. Lightning crackled around her as her features shifted and she grew taller, until Serena wasn't Serena at all. Envy grinned maliciously at the shocked alchemist.

"Now that that's out of the way, we've got a little bone to pick with you," Envy said cheerfully. In a flash, Tsukino was being held up against the wall by his neck, gasping for air, with one hand on his throat and one on his shoulder. All signs of cheeriness from the sin were gone. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth were bared, fury etched in every outline of his face.

"Did you like it, you bastard? Did you enjoy watching her blood spill over your hands while she just lay there, waiting to die?" Envy ground out, staring at him in contempt.

Envy unknowingly gripped Tsukino's shoulder too hard, and the alchemist yelped as the bone shattered. The sin blinked in surprise, then groaned and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Forgot how fragile humans are..." he muttered to himself. He dropped Tsukino on the floor and kicked him viciously across the room into the far wall, making sure to connect with his shot-up arm.

"Oi, Lust!" He called out. "You done out there?"

Lust entered through the door, her claws dripping blood on the floor. Envy raised his eyebrows as the woman tossed her hair.

"I had to get rid of any witnesses, so they wouldn't connect Serena or the boys with any of this," she said calmly. Envy nodded in agreement, then smirked at Tsukino, who was trying to crawl towards the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" Lust said silkily, turning around and piercing Tsukino in the chest with her claws. He cried out in agony as the two sins advanced on him. For a long time, there were screams coming from that particular room.

By dawn, the screams had stopped, and the two shadows had retreated, satisfied with their work.

"He's WHAT!" Colonel Roy Mustang shouted down the phone. After listening for a few more moments, he shouted some more and hung up. Then he sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair, trying to fight off the oncoming headache.

Ken Tsukino had been found dead in this morning in a hospital bed, having clearly been tortured at length first. The brand of the homonculus had been burned into his forehead, with an expression of terror on his face. Mustang groaned and resisted the urge to bang his head on his desk. This was getting too complicated for his tastes.

Ed was furious with him, and undoubtedly Al was too. Maybe they would forgive him if they found out why he did it? Forgive and forget? Mustang almost snorted at the thought. Beat to a bloody pulp, fume at for a few days, then forgive was more Ed's style.

Mustang did feel a slight twinge of pain when he thought of what happened to the girl. No one deserved that fate. And knowing Ed, he would be on edge, snappish, and biting everyone's head off until she was cured.

He could only hope that they would understand.

Ed stared out the window expressionlessly, and Al gazed forward. Both of them were trying not to look at Serena, who sat next to Al so she wouldn't fall over and hurt herself. It had become sheer torture to look at a non-descript shell where a laughing, loving girl had once been.

The train slowed, then finally stopped. Al grabbed the suitcase and carefully helped Serena out of the seat. She stood there, staring straight ahead blankly until Ed took hold of her hand and led her off. She followed him, her hand limp and lifeless in his metal palm.

Armstrong, Hughes, Hawkeye and Mustang were waiting for them. All of them stared at Serena, who didn't even look at the military officers. Ed bristled slightly, wanting to yell that Serena wasn't some freak circus show that they could gawp at anytime they pleased, but he was just too tired. Finally, Hawkeye broke the silence, her voice unusually gentle.

"That's Serena, right?"

"Yeah," Ed said gruffly. Hesitant movement behind him made Fullmetal's head snap to the side. Serena haltingly moved closer to him, one jerky step at a time, before slowly, very, very slowly, resting her head on his shoulder. Her expression had not changed once.

Ed wrapped his arms around her, and even though she still didn't reciprocate, hope flared in his heart. Serena had moved on her own, of her own volition. There just had to be a way to bring her back.

Mustang watched, the slight twinge increased to several sharp pangs, creating a rythm. A rythm of guilt.

_But our love it was stronger by far than the love_

_Of those who were older than we--_

_Of many far wiser than we--_

_And neither the angels in heaven above,_

_Nor the demons down under the sea,_

_Can ever dissever my soul from the soul_

_Of the beautiful Annabel Lee,_

_For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams_

_Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;_

_And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes_

_Of the beautfiul Annabel Lee;_

_And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side_

_Of my darling--my darling--my life and my bride_

_In the sepulchre there by the sea,_

_In her tomb by the sounding sea._

Edgar Allan Poe,_ Annabel Lee_

--Serena's body unconciously wanted to be closer to her soul, which Ed is carrying around, combined with the fact that she loves Ed, made it possible for her to move on her own.

Woohoo, another chapter! I think this may be the fastest yet that I've updated! What do you think of the poem? I thought it went kind of well with this chapter... My humble thanks to all my great reviewers, and I urge you to read and review once more!

Next chapter: Serena's revival, well-kept secrets brought to light, and the pain of regret and hidden feelings.


	7. A Bitter Wind

0.0...Dang... Note to self, check Edgar Allan Poe's poems more thoroughly next time before using them...Many thanks to **Moony92** for pointing those details out to me, and to the rest of all you wonderful people for reading and reviewing!

My head's a little fuzzy from the cold I've gotten--I always seem to get these damn things earlier than everyone else!-- so please forgive me if I do anything stupid. I'm making this as long as I can because I feel guilty for making you guys wait.

Disclaimer: This lowly author owns nothing but this story.

Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear  
Sealed with lies through so many tears  
Lost from within, pursuing the end  
I fight for the chance to be lied to again

You will never be strong enough  
You will never be good enough  
You were never conceived in love  
You will not rise above

They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me

But through my tears breaks a blinding light  
Birthing a dawn to this endless night  
Arms outstretched, awaiting me  
An open embrace upon a bleeding tree

Rest in me and I'll comfort you  
I have lived and I died for you  
Abide in me and I vow to you  
I will never forsake you

They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me

They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me

Rest in me and I'll comfort you  
I have lived and I died for you  
Abide in me and I vow to you  
I will never forsake you

They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me

Evanescenc, _Lies_

_Crimson, the color of blood and fire, reflected all around her. She slid weightlessly upward, reaching for something-- what, she did not know. She couldn't remember anything but pain, anger, and a deep, terrible sorrow, and waiting for someone to save her._

_Save her...save her from what? What was she supposed to be saved from? From these bleeding depths, her own heart's blood? From herself?_

_A spark of gold caught her eye, and she watched it attentively. She touched it curiously, and then she saw a boy with golden eyes and golden hair gazing at her sadly. He reached for her, and she reached back. Before she could touch him, she felt herself slippping back down into the deep crimson shadows. Her vision closed over with red, and so she couldn't see the single tear that fell from the boy's cheek before he vanished._

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Ed snuck a glance out of the corner of his eye at Serena, who sat placidly between Al and Riza, staring into emptiness. It had taken a bit of coaxing to get her off of his arm, though Ed felt a bit of guilty enjoyment at the feel of her small, delicate hands gripping him so fiercely. Perhaps it had shown on his face, because Riza had given him a penetrating look at his half-hearted effort to make Serena let go.

The car hit a bump, jolting Serena so that she almost fell. Al grabbed her shoulder before she could slide off and hoisted her back into her seat. Her near unseating had sparked no reaction from her, and she looked on, listlessly as ever. Ed shut his eyes in pain and turned away.

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"She's settled," Riza said calmly, exiting the private room they had decided to put Serena in. When Ed and Al hurried into the room, the markswoman had to suppress a sigh of relief. Though she would never admit this to anyone, a part of her twinged in unease at the young girl's blank eyes, even though it was overrode by the pangs of sympathy in her heart. What kind of monster would do this to a child?

Riza's hand lingered over her gun. She would have loved to shoot the disgusting creature who had done this until he cast a polka-dotted shadow, but it appeared that she was a little too slow. Perhaps another time, then...

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Ed shoved his bangs away from his face, letting out an angry noise as he slapped down Tsukino's notes. The stupid bastard was brilliant, as much as he hated to say it. Extracting a human soul was a long and difficult process, and making diamonds out of tears wasn't exactly a walk in the park either.

His automail hand creaked faintly as he gripped the table, and burst into splinters when he closed down too hard. Ed shook the little chips out of his joints, taking care that one of them wouldn't get one of them stuck in his hand and foul the engineering up. Winry would be furious with him if he busted another arm up, and that fury would likely take wing involving wrenches and his head. Then he would have to pay a small fortune to have her remove the chip, and she would doubtless yell at him some more.

"Brother?"

Shit. He'd forgotten Al was in the room with him, and he'd doubtless scared his little brother with his silent outburst.

"Yeah, Al?"

"Are you alright?"

"..."

Al fell silent, obviously realizing what a stupid question that had been. When he looked up from the floor, Ed was poring over the notes again. Only the scattered bits of wood showed what had happened moments before.

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Roy Mustang sighed unhappily when he looked at Fullmetal's report. It seethed with barely contained rage in the words, and cruelly recounted every detail. The Colonel winced when he put it it down at last. Ed had been angry with him before, but this one took the cake. Before, Fullmetal ranted and raved and screamed at him for setting them out on a wild goose chase that was always more profitable to Mustang than to the Elrics. Now, he gifted the dark-haired man with a look that would have sent a lesser man running and screaming for his mother whenever he saw him.

Whenever he closed his eyes, empty blue eyes haunted his vision. Hecould have _done_ something so that it wouldn't have turned out this way. No one deserved this fate. Mustang pushed a gloved hand through his hair, leaning into it as he tried to get the girl out of his head. Serena had looked like a fragile china doll, one that would shatter into bits in strong wind.

"Hey, Roy." A tired voice broke the Colonel out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Maes Hughes' face, eyes filled with sorrowful amusement as he looked at his best friend. The bespectacled man had been strangely subdued since he had seen Serena, and he hadn't shoved a picture of Elysia once in anyone's face all day. For a moment they both stood in silence before Mustang broke the silence.

"What I don't get is how a father could _do_ that," he whispered.

"He was greedy," Hughes said, a slightly bitter smile on his face. "He saw wealth and power rather than his daughter, and he never saw what a treasure he had."

"How would you know about her?" Mustang asked, already knowing the answer. Hughes shrugged.

"I conducted an investigationon their family when I heard you'd sent Ed and Al on that mission. Apparently, Serena's pretty popular in the town. There's not one person in the town who hasn't seen her or spoken to her. She spent every minute she could out of the house, and from what the townspeople said, she likes to learn new things." Hughes grinned at his best friend's raised eyebrow. "Cooking, alchemy, art and music, and weapon and hand-to-hand combat lessons, you name it, every single day, and the rest of her time was either in the library or in the park. As near as I can figure, the only time she ever went back to her house was to sleep."

Mustang felt the little smile slip off his face.

"She must have known what was going to be waiting for her when she went back," he stated. Hughes nodded sadly.

"Serena's a smart girl. She probably would have run, given half the chance-- and she's probably tried, but Tsukino posted watchers everywhere so that she couldn't so much as sneeze without it being reported."

"What's going to happen to Tsukino's wife?" the Colonel questioned, not really caring.

"She's being charged with neglect and aiding a criminal, and a lot of other things I don't care to name," Hughes responded. "There's just one little problem, though."

"What's that?" Hughes' face twisted into a faint grimace.

"She's pregnant."

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Ed carefully place the Philosopher's Stone on Serena's bedside, losing himself for a moment in it's crimson depths. Fate had a sense of humor, apparently, even though it was rather warped. Here was the object he had been seeking for years, and yet he couldn't--wouldn't-- use it. The colder, more calculating part of him, the part that made him Fullmetal, actually considered the idea before he ruthlessly squashed it down.

To hide the shaking of his hands from Al, Ed smoothed Serena's hair back from her forehead, lightly combing it back. Despite the lack of expression on her face, she was still beautiful, still his childhood friend that he would always love. Hesitantly, he touched the scars on her collarbone. They were a raw, angry red, almost seeming to accuse him of his failure to save her. It had been three weeks, and he had yet to figure anything out.

Serena moved her hand, a small, timid gesture that he couldn't understand. She gestured again, fingers barely moving, and not knowing what to do, Ed froze. Al's shout made his head snap up in time to connect with a fist that sent him flying across the room.

Envy grinned smugly at the stunned alchemist, ignoring Lust's exasperated sigh from behind him.

"Sorry pipsqueak, fairytale kisses don't work in real life, so don't even _think_ about trying it," Envy smirked, placing his hands on his hips. Ed struggled to his feet, his eyes widening when he saw how close the two homonculi were to Serena. Then the insult sunk in.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SOME SUPER-SHORT MIDGET WHO HAS TO USE A LADDER TO SEE OVER A FLEA?" he roared angrily. The green-haired sin snickered to himself as he got a successful rise out of the alchemist.

"Envy, this is no time for your little games!" Lust snapped. "Hold the boy so he doesn't mess things up."

Ed's eyes were like dinner plates as he strained against Envy's arms. Lust pinned Al to the wall with her claws while she grasped the Stone in her other hand-- and crushed it to powder.

Time seemed to stand still as Edward stared uncomprehendingly at the red dust that lay in the homonculus's hand. Nothing registered in his mind, just the little fragments of a soul as he went limp against Envy.

She was gone, gone, gone... The world echoed seizelessly inside his skull until he wanted to scream and block his ears. This was like losing Mom again, only a million times worse, because he knew he could have saved her. To Ed's overractive imagination, it was almost like Serena's flat sapphire eyes were glaring at him, accusing him.

_You let them kill me. You let me die, _her motionless lips seemed to whisper.

Lust carefully lengthened three fingers to reopen the wound on Serena's collar, then sprinkled the fragments into the wound. The wound pulsed with a silvery light, and then absorbed the fragments. A hiss escaped her mouth as the silver glow spread to her entire being. Small, pale hands clenched the sheets as her body convulsed at the sensation of the soul reentering the body. A pained keening noise rose from the back of her throat, and Ed snapped.

The alchemist wrenched himself free of Envy and lunged at Lust, an enraged cry working it's way out. Before he could touch the clawed woman, the glow dissipated, and Serena shot up, wide blue eyes with crystal tears of pain lingering on her lashes. She made a split second decision and jumped.

Ed yelped as he felt Serena's weight hit him on the chest and send him flying. They landed with a heavy thud, and Fullmetal could only gape up at Serena, who stared back at him, tears shining in her eyes once more.

"No, Ed, don't hurt them!" she begged. "Please, Ed, they're my friends, they saved me! Don't fight, please!"

The short alchemist's brain finally comprehended the fact that Lust and Envy had actually _helped_ Serena. He could only stutter out a faint, "Wha..."

"They're my friends," Serena repeated stubbornly. "They won't hurt you if you don't try to hurt them, ri--" When she turned around, she saw that both the homonculi were gone. She made a face. "I hate it when they do that..."

"How?" Ed demanded finally.

"You got time for a long story?"

(AN: I'm sorry to say that I won't be writing out the part where Envy and Serena meet. My mom is going to start yelling at me to get off the computer any minute, as I've been on here all morning. However, if anyone wants to read how they met, say the word and I'll write a oneshot on it as soon as I get the chance. Okay, enought of that!)

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"You make the weirdest friends," Ed commented, taking a bite out of his apple. Al had run off and brought back a large bowl of fruit-- where he got it, they would never know-- as he had rightly assumed that both Ed and Serena would be starving, then vanished. The young girl kept a dignified silence, instead concentrating on cutting open her tangerine. She tossed the pit in the wastebasket and took a bite out of one of the sections, savoring the juicy sweetness. When she swallowed, she saw Ed smiling at her.

"What are you grinning at?" she asked, raising a golden eyebrow.

"You. I remember, when we were kids, whenever Mom got some tangerines from the market, she'd always give the first one to you, because they were your favorite," Ed recalled. Serena smiled and touched her locket, for a moment seeing Trisha's deep green eyes, sparkling at her and offering her a fruit, _Here Serena, I got this one just for you!_

"Do you remember the time all three of us drove off that lovesick idiot who was always hanging around your mother?" Serena said suddenly. Ed choked on his apple, laughing slightly.

"It's surprising how fast you can run when your pants are on fire and you're covered in honey," Ed grinned. Serena rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Ed, did you _have_ to throw the beehive at him, too? You got stung a few times yourself," she said. Ed laughed.

"It was worth it! He shot off like the devil himself was on his tail whenever he saw us!" Serena had to laugh as well at that particular memory.

Ed smiled at her, his golden eyes warm and gentle. The young girl stopped laughing and blushed. The redness only deepened when her friend's expression didn't change.

"You should laugh more often," he said abruptly. "It makes you look really pretty."

"So should you," she retorted, still red in the face. _He thinks I'm pretty?_

Edward's eyes saddened, and he turned away, his eyes half-shutting. He looked so unhappy that Serena couldn't help but reach over and embrace him, laying her head against his shoulder, feeling the cold bluntness of his automail against her cheek. She hesitated, then set her jaw.

"Ed," she said softly. "You and Al tried to bring back your mother, didn't you?" He stiffened and pulled away from her.

"How did you know?" he demanded harshly.

"I guessed," Serena said grimly. "It didn't take much-- Al felt so cold, and he sounded hollow when I hugged him, and there's no way he could have grown that much in just a few years. Your arm and leg were gone, so there wasn't much else to consider but human transmutation."

Ed turned away from her, lightly touching his metal arm. When he spoke, his voice was bitter and angry.

"We were pretty stupid, huh? We thought--I thought-- that we could override the powers of nature. We ignored the books, Auntie Pinako, our teacher's warning... This-- this is our just reward. God doesn't like it when people overstep their limits."

"Shut up," Serena whispered, blinking away her tears. Ed turned around, his eyes wide as she continued fiercely. "There's _nothing wrong_ with wanting to see your mother again. If I had been in your shoes, I would have done the exact same thing."

"That doesn't excuse it," Ed snapped.

"No, it doesn't," she agreed. "But ripping yourself apart from the inside isn't doing you or Al any good. Trust me-- I learned that lesson the hard way."

Serena's features softened when she saw Ed stop yelling. It had taken someone who had been through just as much as he had to slap him in the face with the truth. She walked forward and put her arms around him, clutching him to her. The familiar smell of leather, new books and steel assaulted her nose, and she couldn't help but wonder what she smelled like to him. Ed's lithe frame shook as he buried his face in her shoulder, and Serena felt wetness dampen her shirt. She stroked his hair gently, trying to help him but not knowing how.

"Oh, Ed," she said sadly. "How long has it been since you cried?"

He didn't say anything, but the wet feeling on her shoulder increased. Ed was so proud, too proud-- was it that pride, as well as his love for his mother, that led to his downfall? No-- her friend did not let his pride taint his love.

Ed pulled away from her, his golden eyes shining with tears, dripping from his lashes-- and kissed her.

Serena was so stunned that she didn't react at first, then closed her eyes sadly and kissed back. Ed didn't know what he was doing-- he was so sad and bitter and lost in memories that he needed release. Nevertheless, if it gave him comfort... She ignored the feeling of bitterness, of being used as a tool, and concentrated on Ed. His mouth was warm and tasted salty from his tears, as well as an underlying sweetness from the apple he had eaten earlier.

Ed's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her desperately instead of gently now.

_Would he be kissing you like this, like a lover, if he thought of you as a tool for release?_

_I...don't know..._

Serena pressed closer to Ed, trying to lose herself in the lie that he was kissing her out of love, and trying to ignore the tears that slid down her cheeks and mixed with Ed's on the ground.

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And once again, I've probably royally screwed up the romance. Hey, I've never had a boyfried OR a crush-- I'm not lying-- so please try and accept my poor efforts. So, if you'll excuse me I gotta go hide somewhere.

Ed: AHA! There you are!

Too late... (flees from Ed's wrath)

Read and review, please!


	8. I Can't Always Forgive

Thank you for all the lovely reviews! High school is not exactly proving to be a walk in the park for me, and my parents threatened me with no computer AT ALL for a whole quarter if my grades don't pick up, so I haven't had much time to update. Please be patient. For those of you who wanted to know how Envy and Serena met, as well as the other Sins, and anyone else I can fling in, go read** Strands of Light**!

Bwahahahaha...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Fullmetal Alchemist cast: OO

Al: I think all that schoolwork has finally gone to her head.

White: (still laughing insanely)

Ed: (grabs Al's head and chucks it at White)

White: OW! What the hell's your problem, pal!

Ed: You wanna know what my PROBLEM is! (starts ranting about 'evil authors and their damn plot twists and cliffhangers', etc., etc.)

Al: (groping around for his head) Just start without them.

Disclaimer: Own nada.

Serena could not look Ed in the face anymore. And it seemed that he wouldn't meet her eyes anymore.

Serena couldn't look into Ed's face without feeling his lips on hers, the coldness of his automail that grew warm against her skin, and the scent and feel of his tears. How much it had hurt, knowing he was with her and yet he was not, that he was in a distant place that could never be reached, least of all by her... And she could remember how he had pulled back, eyes cast down to the ground and mumbling that he was sorry, breaking her heart more than anyone ever had or ever could-- and she had accepted his apology, saying it was okay.

But it wasn't okay, and now it never would be. Because every time they looked at one another, they would remember how much they had both hurt and healed the other that day, and would feel the shame and think about the what-might-have-beens... if they had stayed in each other's embrace.

She was almost grateful to Mustang when he gave her leave to visit her mother. Almost, but not quite.

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Blue eyes peered sharply through window into the brightly-lit room, and a pale hand rested lightly against the glass. Petal-soft pink lips lifted in a silent snarl as Serena stared at Ilene Tsukino, fingers clenching convulsively and nails straining to dig into the clear window. The woman's dark blue-violet hair was limp and unkempt, and her eyes were flat and lifeless. A slight bump on her midsection was the only sign she was pregnant-- but the bump was far too small for a woman who was seven months along.

"Miss Tsukino?" A doctor tapped her shoulder, but Serena didn't take her eyes off her mother.

"Yes?" she murmured.

"We have discovered your mother has been doing to herself," he said, then hesitated, clearly unhappy, then relentlessly plowed on. "She has been experimenting drugs and alchemy-- apparently, she was trying to see if she could her physique while she was pregnant-- and it has severely hindered the baby's growth. We're not sure if-- Miss Tsukino?"

The doctor stared apprehensively at the suddenly rigid girl. Serena blinked, then motioned for him to continue.

"I'm sorry, but it is highly probable the baby will be stillborn. We'll do everything we can. I'm afraid we have a problem, though--Mrs. Tsukino refuses all food and drink."

Serena stared unseeingly at the white walls-- and remembered.

A few years back, she would have been a sister. Her mother had beamed and looked radiant, and she had never seen her father act so proud. It had disconcerted Serena slightly, but she had ignored it for she was excited at the prospect of a sibling. But somewhere down the line, it had gone all wrong. The baby had been born too early-- those things happen sometimes, according to the kind doctor who had explained why she had no little brother to Serena, and there's nothing you can do about it.

She could remember the little body, the tiny coffin, and the marble gravestone with the name **Samuel Kenneth Tsukino** engraved upon it. Such a big name for such a tiny boy, the kind that only looks good on a gravestone, Serena had thought at the time, through her choking sobs. Her mother had screamed endlessly, as she had when she had discovered that there had been no breath in the body of little Sammy when he was born, until she had to be sedated and led away.

"Force-feed her, then." Serena hardly recognized her own voice, it sounded so harsh and angry. "Shove it down her throat, feed her through an IV, I don't give a damn. Just _do_ it."

A few years back, she could have been a sister, and now she had that chance again.

Serena Tsukino would not bury any more siblings.

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"Are you sure you want to do this?" Serena glared out of the corner of her eye at Envy.

"No," she said flatly. Envy growled and crossed his arms, muttering under his breath about stubborn blondes-- in less polite wording.

"Leave Serena alone, Envy." Lust's voice drifted out of the shadows, causing both of them to turn toward her. The dim light that filtered through the window made it almost impossible to see the expression on the female sin's face. "She has to do this. For the baby's sake."

"You don't even know the woman will _listen_ to you," snapped Envy. Serena walked toward the door, then stopped and turned halfway when she reached the doorframe.

"I don't, but it's worth the risk," she replied evenly, then ghosted away silently. Envy sighed irritably, slumping down onto the floor.

"I swear I never should have taught her how to do that," he muttered. Lust's smooth chuckle was his only answer.

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"Mother."

Ilene's empty eyes flickered to Serena, who stood by her bed. The blonde's bangs shadowed her face so that the bedridden woman could not get a good look at her expression.

"Mother, why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" The older woman inquired raspily, her voice almost gone from disuse.

"Killing the baby." Flat violet orbs regarded shadowed blues stonily.

"You speak as if you don't care about me."

"I never said I did. It's the baby I care for." Ilene's traitorous hand crept up to the barely visible swell, and for a brief moment the old joy of motherhood sparked inside her before she squashed it. Her children all died one way or another-- her little girl was like a walking corpse, and her baby boy had never seen the light of day. And it was her fault, all her fault.

"Yet you are here," she whispered. Serena looked away, blue eyes brighter than they should be for a moment.

"Please, Mother. Just eat something, cooperate with the doctors. For it's sake, if not my own."

A part of Ilene stirred, reminding her that once, she had loved her Ken, loved her little girl, and her life hadn't always revolved around parties and gossip. Where had it gone wrong? Was it her fault that Serena stood there with a broken body and eyes that were far too old?

Yes. Yes, it was. Even if she had not caused it directly, she had still played a part.

"Please, Mother," Serena said, her voice hoarse, cracking with effort to keep her tears in. "Just this once-- do something for the baby. For _me_. Not yourself, not _him_. For _us_."

Ilene knew she would not live after the birth, if there even was one. The weight of her sins and Ken's rested squarely on her shoulders, and now it was time to pay up. She knew she had done wrong, and that she would undoubtedly burn in Hell for it for all of eternity.

But she would do this one thing for her baby girl, her fallen star. Slowly, she nodded. The relief burned in Serena's eyes, and for a brief second, she was forgiven. As the blonde walked out the door, her mother's voice stopped her halfway out.

"It will be a girl."

Serena smiled, a tear falling from her eye and sparkling brightly before it hit the ground, and in a whirl of gold, she was gone.

That was the last time Ilene ever saw her firstborn.

When she gave birth for the third time, and for the first and last time, held the fragile little bundle in her arms, Ilene smiled exhaustedly down into bright violet eyes as her hand stroked a tuft of black-violet hair. She was tiny, not even remotely the average baby size, but she would live. This she knew.

"Hotaru," she whispered. "Your name is Hotaru." With a stupendous effort, both physical and emotional, Ilene placed her baby into the arms of nurse next to her bed. The nurse blinked at her, startled.

"Take her to my daughter," Ilene said softly. Whatever the nurse saw in the dying woman's eyes, it was enough to convince her not to argue.

Ilene shut her eyes, smiling even as tears ran down her cheeks, and leaned back against the pillows.

It was time to go.

_**One month later...**_

Serena stared straight ahead, regardless that it was impossible to see anything in this kind of weather. A soft cooing sound drew her attention down to the bundle lying across her chest, and she couldn't help but smile. Little Hotaru waved a tiny, chubby hand up at Serena, trying to catch the bright strands of hair that fell over her face. Her sister chuckled and tucked her hair back out of reach, inwardly praising the doctors that had given her the sling. It left her hands free to carry the umbrella and it kept Hotaru warm, even though she still used her free arm to wrap around the bundle of energy.

While it was true that Serena had to feed her little sister an alchemically enhanced potion several times a day, she had never seen a happier, livelier baby. As if to prove her point, Hotaru reached up and snagged a bit of hair, giggling as she pulled on it. Serena winced; did she mention the happiness was at her hair's expense?

As she tried to free her hair without upsetting her baby sister (who seemed to think this was a new game), shouts from up ahead drew her attention away from the violet-eyed menace. Frowning, Serena took a few steps forward, then sprang back as she was almost bowled over by two scrawny boys racing past her into the alleyway, one with a basket of apples underneath his arm.

"--steals from me!" roared a shopkeeper, racing around the corner with surprising speed for a tub of lard.

"Where did they go?" he demanded rudely of Serena, who pointed in the opposite direction of where the boys had gone. She waited until she was certain he was gone, then stepped into the alleyway. The younger boy was currently arguing with the older.

"You just picked that up and stole it! If Mom knew--"

"She would doubtless be disappointed, but she'd probably understand," Serena interjected dryly. The boys jumped and practically fell over each other in shock, but she didn't care. "Next time, would you please look where you're going? As you can see, I'm carrying a baby and I would have been very cross with you if you'd knocked me over."

"S-sorry," the younger one muttered as the older one glared at her defiantly. Serena sighed gustily.

"I'm not going to turn you over to that fat old hippo, if that's what you're worried about. He probably needs the food a lot less than you two look like you do," she informed them. They relaxed, and the younger one even smiled at her, revealing a missing tooth. It was only then that Serena noticed they both wore sunglasses, and with good reason-- they had red eyes.

They were Ishbalans.

"Good _God_," she hissed, checking behind her in a panic. What if the shopkeeper came back? "Put your sunglasses back on! What if someone else had seen? Hurry, let's go, _now_!"

Serena strode forward, caught them both by the arms and dragged them away, just barely managing to hold onto her umbrella.

"Where are you taking us?" demanded the older one as she poked her head nervously around the corner, searching for any sign of the shopkeeper.

"Hell if I know," she replied, still looking around the street. "Where is it that you two live? And can you tell me your names so I don't have to keep saying 'hey you' all time?"

"I'm Rick, and that's Leo!" piped up the younger one, pointing to his brother. Serena didn't know how she knew that they were brothers-- it was probably just a wild guess, but it seemed right.

"_Rick_!" hissed Leo, eyes flashing in alarm. "She could be with the State for all we know!"

Serena propped her right hand on her hip and glared mildly at him. "This 'she' has a name. Serena. And no, I'm not with the State. Will you just tell where you live so I can get you home?"

Rick and Leo avoided her eyes for a moment, obviously embarassed before Leo muttered, "It's in the sewer. On the outskirts of town."

Serena had to struggle not to let her pity show on her face. These boys would obviously not welcome it, and in their places, neither would she. Sighing a little, she made sure her sling was secure, and motioned for the young Ishbalans to follow her.

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Serena gazed around in startled admiration at the tents pitched as far as the eye could see. The Ishbalans were definitely clever, to think of the sewers for a hiding place. The old man in front of her chuckled at her obvious shock, drawing her attention back to him.

"You seem surprised, young one. You did not expect to find so many of our people down here?"

"No sir," Serena said automatically, cradling Hotaru in her arms, now freed from the sling. The old man's gaze dropped to the laughing babe, who was trying to catch her sister's sun-bright locks once more. Serena followed his eyes and smiled down at the violet-eyed girl.

"Again, Hotaru? No, I don't think so," she added, sweeping the golden cascade of hair out of her sister's reach. Unexpectedly, Hotaru's eyes became teary, and she began to wail unhappily, deprived of her favorite game.

"Sorry, baby, but it hurts when you pull it," Serena crooned apologetically. When Hotaru didn't cease crying, her sister sighed and resettled her in her arms, then began to sing softly.

_Hush little 'Taru, don't say a word_

_Sister's gonna buy you a mockingbird_

_And if that mockingbird don't sing_

_Sister's gonna buy you a diamond ring_

_And if that diamond ring turns brass_

_Sister's gonna buy you a looking glass_

_And if that looking glass gets broke_

_Sister's gonna buy you a billy goat_

_And if that billy goat won't pull_

_Sister's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

_And if that cart and bull rolls over _

_Sister's gonna buy you a dog named Rover_

_And if that dog named Rover just won't bark_

_Sister's gonna buy you a silver harp_

_And if that silver harp won't play_

_Sister's gonna sing the night away... _(1)

Hotaru didn't go to sleep, but she did quiet down, staring up at her sister with wide eyes and her thumb in her mouth. The old man smiled approvingly at her.

"You do that very well. Tell me, is it difficult to care for her?"

"To be honest, sir?" she said, in weary good humor. "It's exhausting, but I wouldn't trade her for anything."

"And...err, the father, does he help?" Forgetting all the etiquette rules that had ever been drilled into her head, Serena's mouth dropped open. He honestly thought...?

"The baby is not hers," said a deep voice to their right. Serena turned, and her mouth curved up in a slight smile when she saw Scar.

"Nice to see you too," she greeted him. He smirked slightly.

"We meet yet again, young Serena," he returned.

"Yeah, and don't give me any of that crap about fate, either," she told him sternly. "You know I don't condone stuff like that." For a moment, she thought he might smile, but she was wrong.

"Where are your parents?" he asked quietly, scarlet eyes searching her face.

"Dead, both of them," Serena said numbly, her own eyes shuttered against what her mind showed her. "Hotaru is all I have left."

In that uncomfortable moment, Rick unconciously lifted his hands to around his neck, and panicked.

"Mom's locket! Oh, no, I've lost it!" he cried out, looking around desperately. Serena blinked.

"Oh, you mean this locket?" she held out a slightly beat-up old locket. Rick seized it happily, then hugged her, being mindful not to crush Hotaru.

"I picked it up before I walked into you two. That chain needs fixing," Serena remarked, cuddling her sister closer. Leo scowled at the locket in his little brother's hands.

"I told you to throw that dumb thing away, Rick!" Rick glared obstinately at his brother.

"No way!"

Serena let out a breath, then climbed regretfully to her feet. Everyone stared at her in puzzlement.

"I have to get back to the East," she explained. "The train leaves early tomorrow morning, so I'd better get some sleep."

Rick, Leo and Scar trailed after her as she walked up the steps. Serena had turned to thank them for putting up with her when she heard a clinking sound behind her. Feeling cold grip her heart, she turned and looked at the object lying next to her feet.

Gas bomb.

With a speed she didn't know she possessed, Serena whipped back around, grabbed Rick by the sleeve and yanked him into a niche as Scar dragged Leo away from the stairs. Gasping a little, she thrust Hotaru into the Ishbalan boy's arms and shot out from her hiding place, determined to meet her attackers head-on. Serena didn't expect a bullet to barely graze the marking on her chest that her father had carved. It was only a graze, but it fell like something vital had exploded inside her. Whimpering in pain and shock, she sank to her knees, colored lights flashing in her eyes as she blacked out.

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"Feh, these women are all alike. One little cut and they're gone."

That comment didn't help Serena's temper as she struggled to open her eyes, focusing blearily on the group in front of her. She was pissed, confused, tired and ready to start beating the crap out of those bastards as soon as the feeling came back to her legs. Oh, that jerk who said women were weak was SO going to get it. Now, which one was it?

"Are you sure they'll come after her, boss? She's not one of them."

"Idiot, they'll come. Didn't you see the way that little Ishbalan brat was crying when we dragged her off? She must be on good terms with them, which is good enough for me. Besides," His tone took on a more creepy edge. "she's quite the pretty thing."

Serena fought the urge to throw up as she pretended to be unconcious, hearing Creepy's footsteps come closer. He squatted next to her and stroked her face, and she tried not to shudder. She turned over, still faking sleep, if only to get away from his touch.

"She's got spunk. I've heard that girls with spunk are good in the sack."

Serena's eye twitched. Screw acting; she was getting out of here. The blonde whipped around and nailed Creepy in the face with a right hook and kicked him in the face as she flipped to her feet. His crew was on their feet in an instant, guns pointing her way, but Serena paid them no mind. She clapped, and placed her hands on the wall. With a burst of silver, the wall had a nice doorway-sized hole in it.

The blue-eyed girl swallowed, thinking, _Holy Hell, how did I do that?_ Chancing a look behind her, Serena decided to find out later. Those guns didn't look at all friendly, and the people manning them even less so. She clapped her hands again and pressed them on the ground, enclosing them in a cage, then bolted.

And fell on her face.

Spitting out sand as she struggled to her feet, Serena instantly decided that she hated the desert.

"Well, well, what have we here?" A voice inquired from a ways behind her. Resigning herself to the fact that this was not good, the blonde turned and almost screamed. She knew, somehow that this man was a bonded soul, just like Al. Except this suit was the stuff that nightmares are made of, with a skull for a face and a cleaver with dark stains on it. And she had a sinking feeling she knew exactly what those stains were.

"I'll slice you to pieces!" screamed the armor maniacally, lunging at her and swinging his cleaver happily. Serena couldn't help but sweatdrop as she dodged out of the way.

"Not very sociable, are you?" she mumbled, keeping an eye on his weapon, then clapped her hands and placed them on the sand. "Good, 'cuz neither am I!"

Serena picked up her newly transmuted guns and wasted no time in firing, hoping on the off chance that she would hit his blood seal, she would be able to run. No such luck.

"Well now, you're a pretty good shot, missy," the armor remarked, inspecting the bullet dents in his metal. "But you'll never beat me!"

"Yeah, and you need to see a psychiatrist about your superiority complex," Serena retorted, backing up carefully.

"Oh no, missy," the armor said, his eyes gleaming viciously. "You're the one who's going to need help. With your funeral!"

With a cry, he launched himself at her. She barely managed to duck out of the way, and paid the price with a shallow slice down her arm. Serena opened fire again, then seeing that wasn't going to work, clapped her hands and created a giant wave of sand that enveloped the armor. Only then did she realize what a stupid mistake she'd made. Psycho could just sneak up on her at any minute from underneath the sand. With that thought in her mind, she turned to run. As if responding to her thoughts, Psycho popped up a few feet in front of her.

"Miss me?" he commented wickedly. Serena didn't care how childish it was; she stamped her foot.

"Damn it, you whack job! Get outta my way or you're gonna be in a world of hurt!" she snarled angrily. The stupid armor laughed. Just plain _laughed_, like it was the funniest thing in the word. Disregarding the cleaver (which she would later regret), Serena shot at him, landing a kick squarely on bone face and crushing his forehead. She flipped off his head and began to run again, but somehow the sneaky bastard had managed to get a deep cut in her leg without her noticing, which caused her to stumble and fall. With a triumphant shriek, the armor pelted toward her, and she was frozen, she couldn't do anything, this was really the end--

"You leave her alone!"

Blue alchemy flashed brilliantly and Psycho went flying backward. Concerned golden eyes looked into her own blue orbs as Ed picked her up, scolding her angrily about something-- Serena didn't know what. But he was _here_. He _cared_. And really, that was all the incentive she needed.

Later she might blame it on blood loss, or some other thing, but she didn't care now. She kissed him. And to her complete surprise, he kissed back. Then Ed pulled back and gave her a stern look.

"I love you," he told her matter-of-factly. "And if you ever go somewhere and leave me with that bastard colonel and all of Eastern command laughing at me again, I'm going to be very angry." Serena snickered. So much for sappy love confessions, but then again, Ed really wasn't the type for that. Well, two could play at that game.

"I love you as well, and," She punctuated the 'and' with a vicious punch to his face. "if you ever pull away from me like that first time again, I will hurt you."

"Oh, I believe you," he muttered, probing his now black eye.

The sound of someone calling her name made her slip out of Ed's arms and turn toward the sound. Rick, Scar, Leo and the old man piled out of the car, calling to her. Rick shot out of the car and launched himself at her. She grabbed Ed's arm to stay steady while hugging the distraught young Ishbalan with then other.

"Rick, where's Hotaru?" she asked suddenly, realizing the abscence of her baby sister.

"Here," Leo handed the violet-eyed baby over with a prominent amount of relief on his face. "She's hasn't done anything but cry since they took you."

"Aww, my little sis missed me, did she?" Serena cooed, a smile breaking across her face.

"Um, Serena?"

"Yeah, Ed?" The blonde said impatiently, pulling out Hotaru's special formula.

"When did you get a sister?"

Serena groaned. Couldn't Colonel Bastard have explained any of this stuff? Nooo, let's just leave it all to Serena, she won't mind. Ha. Mustang and Ed were going to have matching black eyes before the week was done.

So much for getting any sleep

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(1) Yeah, I know, I made up the last four lines. So kill me, I can never remember that darn song.

YYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, IT'S FINISHED! (does a victory dance) Alright, for those of you who want to know how Serena and Scar met, it will be posted on **Strands of Light** shortly. Right now I've got to get to bed as it's almost 12 and I've been on here for 6 hours.

Serena: Hold it right there. I have a bone to pick with you!

Heh heh...It can't wait til morning? (edges away nervously)

Serena: No, it can't.

Okay...what is it?

Serena: WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO &$# LONG TO UPDATE?

Heh...um... GOODBYE!

Serena: Oh no you don't (claps hands)

Damnit, I knew I never should have give you that ability! HEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!

R&R, please


End file.
